Recently, in order to enhance the performance of a machine tool, a spindle motor for driving a spindle has been improved in the speed and power thereof. Some induction motors, commonly used as spindle motors, have squirrel-cage rotors which include secondary conductors and end rings both integrally formed with a laminated core by a casting process. When the speed of an induction motor having such a squirrel-cage rotor must be increased, there is a fear that end rings arranged at axial ends of a laminated core are bent or broken due to the centrifugal force caused by high-speed rotation. A known squirrel-cage rotor adaptable to high-speed rotation includes separate reinforcing members formed of high-rigidity materials, such as iron or stainless steel, the reinforcing members being fixedly disposed on the rotor while surrounding the end rings, so as to eliminate the deformation of the end rings.
Conventional reinforcing members for the end rings of a high-speed squirrel-cage rotor are formed as annular elements, each of which has a generally L-shaped cross-section at a circumferential region and includes a cylindrical wall coming into contact with the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the end ring and an end wall coming into contact with the axial end surface of the end ring. The reinforcing member covers the surface of the end ring, and the end wall thereof is usually fixed to the axial end surface of the end ring by fixing means such as bolts. Therefore, the deformation of the end ring due to centrifugal force is prevented by the cylindrical wall of the reinforcing member. In the conventional reinforcing member, however, the cylindrical wall is supported through the end wall on the end ring in a cantilever manner, which causes problems that the cylindrical wall tends in itself to be bent outward due to centrifugal force in response to the increase of the diameter of the rotor or the rotation speed thereof, and thus fails to support the end ring.